Wood Fire Dine Rothwell: Leeds pizzeria named among top 100 restaurants in the UK by OpenTable

Booking platform OpenTable has released its annual list of the best places to eat across the country, based on diner ratings, percentage of reservations made in advance, and five-star reviews.

The list uncovers some of the most in-demand restaurants in the UK, compiled from analysing more than 1.2 million diner reviews – from Michelin star and fine dining establishments to pubs and cafés.

Wood Fire Dine in Rothwell was the only Leeds restaurant to make the list. The independent pizzeria, founded by self-trained chef Mark Baber and his wife Victoria in 2017, has a 4.9/5 star rating on OpenTable.

Mark's quality dough and inventive recipes saw him shortlisted for four categories in the national PAPA awards in 2019, winning the overall prize for the UK's Pizza Chef of the Year.

One OpenTable review said: “Favourite place to eat hands down, would recommend to all. Have been so many times now and it has always been incredible but seems to just get better and better.”

Another customer said: “Best gluten free pizza around.”

The research from OpenTable found that Brits expect to spend an average of £120 per person on dining out throughout the festive season, with 82% spending more or about the same as they did on festive celebrations in 2022.

When looking generationally, 18-29 year olds expect to spend the most at £147 on average. And in Leeds, 28% of diners surveyed said they would dine solo over the festive season.